This blogpost is a ‘flashback’ moment to 2012, when two Chrysalis Care staff members attended a Young Minds event at the South Bank Centre last night that left an indelible imprint.
In a climate where we are encouraged more and more to centralise children’s voices, this event made no apologies for doing just that…from South Bank’s artist in residence, Lemn Sissay’s impassioned words about the ‘superhero-like’ skills and capabilities of children who are looked after and his fantastic autobiographic poetry, through to the ‘letter to a corporate parent’, a culmination of words from looked after young people in Worcestershire, read out by Jenny Clifton from the Office of the Children’s Commissioner.
Charlotte Levene from Young Minds delivered the ‘findings’ of her work with young people; the content was compelling and the delivery was respectful of the creative input of young people and alongside Beattie’s eloquent and imaginative conveyance of the work contributed by young people to the ‘Flourish’ project, this made for a powerful, emotive, timely and inspiring event.
It was great to hear from Sarah Brennan, who reminded us that ‘passion’ for work with young people is an inherent thread that permeates the hierarchical structure, an important message in a time when eyes are on efficiency savings. Inevitably, we at Chrysalis Care will continue to keep our eyes on ways of doing ‘more for less’ but our ears?….well they are firmly tuned into the voices of young people.